Wheel-rim.



' PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907. E. HOPKINSON.

WHEEL RIM. APPLICATION FILED" SBPT.13. 1905.

struction.

ERNEST HOPKINSON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

WHEEL-RIM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application filed September 13, 1905. Serial No. 278,329.

To all whom if may crmccrn.' Y

lle it known fluit l, llnxns'r llornmsox, :t citizen of the United. States, residing in the ("ify of Plast Orange, county of Essex, und Seite of New Jersey, hnve inventA ed new and useful lnnnovenieius in heel-Rims, of which the following is n. specifcniion.

This` invenfion refines lo rims for vehicle wheels, und more. particularly to rimsl rulnpleduto receive resilient tires oi the pnenunnie oreiller types.

'.lhe invenlion is primarily designed for use in con necfion with pneumiuic tires of the lv"Dnnhng"7 type, in which en in flznnble inner tube is revered and protected by a` sliefuh lifted along its inner side und provided in each edge adjacent to the rift with zin endless and inexpnrnsible Inruil or wird The principal object of the inw nf ion is to provide zi rim adapted for use with such tires and of such consfrmf- 'tieni/het the tire will be positively clamped when in position upon the rim but will be renalily removable from the rini or applicable thereto.

Another object of 1h e invention is to provide :i wheel rim adapted to clam p the outer. she-:ith or easing of n Dunlop tire zit the margins, so as to prevent creeping of the tire on the rim, by direct lateral pressure against the edges of the tire shenth.

Other objects of the invention :ind special icziiures thereof will hereinafter appr-inf the invention is diss closed in this specification and the accompanying drawings 'iorming :i p'art thereof, in which corresponding parts :ne designated by similar characters of reference `ijn-oughout the severed views.

' Iiifhc-dmwings: Figure l is u. view in trnnsversr.: se:- tion through it wheel felly, the improved rim, und :t tire ofthe Dunlop typei position upon the rim. Fig. 2 is :i fragmentary View in side elevniion, showings-sec tion of the t e and of the wheel rim. Fig. 3 is n fing-- inentzn'y view in side elevation of u se "tion of :t tire and riin, showing u modified mccnunisni for securing)r one of vthe removable side flnnges in position, ai portieri of the rim'strneture being broken amv-ny to show interim-l cenlfig. 4 is it detail view pzn'fly in plsu rnd partly in liorixontul section of the side flsngesecnring device shown in Fig. 5 is n riiugrzun shovingl n preferred inode of expanding the side flange by Incztns ni the devices illustntted in. Figs. :l und IfA lescri'oed in general-l terms, the rbn forming the pres- 'eut invention consists :in n, main rim member with one or two removrible side flnnges, erich sidil flnnge being :in

.nspiinsible split ringv which providwl with 1L channel lo receive n bend or o, series ef lugs upon the lire rnd will. suilnblc ineens ror smfuring the side flange upon the main rim member. l'n e niztin rim member affords i sent for the tire :rnd adjacent to euch removable side flange it rnbbet is providcdlfor the reception el one inargin of the tire sheath or outer casing. inch reniovnble side flange cepemtes with the main rim member in positively clamping one nnngin of the tire sheath in position in the rrtbbei. provided to receive it, ille pressure exerted upon the edges of the lire sheitlr being simply lateral pressure und having little or no tendency to dis fend the fire sheath :it the base.

i Referring to the drawings, F designates the ielly of the wheel, T the tire sheath :nid t the inflatable inner tube. The 11min riin member l., which is preferably of hollow construction, is shrunk or otherwise secured upon the felly F and is characterized by two inwardly disposed bends or lips 2, which are inclined luier-illy to n slight extent and do not project inward beyond the Wheel face oi the moin rini member. The mitin rim member l may be and preferably is formed from n tube of nmlleable iron or mild steel by rolling it into the desired forni, each brad or lip 2 being or' double lthe thickness of the stock of which the main rim member is formed. The outer surface of the nininriin member is charactert und two mbbets 4 above or external. to the beads or lips 2. .Each side fir-ngo is preferably of the cross sectionnl forni shown in Fig; l, presenting a. channel nem 'the inner circumference to receive the. lips or bends 2 `and a. laterally znidoutwardly inclined tive engaging portion (i. Euch side flange is divided, ns shown :it 7 in Fig. 2, and the tendency of each side flange is to contra-ct sullicicntly to bring the ends thereof into contact, thus closing the grip in the flange.

When a. side flange is contracted until the ends of the flange nre in mutate-t, the diameter of the side firing@ is red uccd sufficient] y to permit the side flange to be sented upon the lip or bend provided therefor on the rnnin rim member. Ii' the side fiitngebe then e1;- p-ztmled, the engagement of the clntnnel. in the side (hinge with n slightly inclined lip or bead will force the side flange laterally into engagement with the tire sheath and so clmnp the margins of the tire sheath .between the sido .flange und the lateral surface of the rubber 4 adjacent therelo.

Various devices nnty bc employed to expand the removable side llnnges :ind force Lheni into clamping engugenn-nt with the tire sheath. ln Fig. .l l have shown the side flange :is provided with n. turnbuckle i consisting of n sleeve ll rind two tln'einled members .I (J pivolcd in lugs ll formed upon the inner circumference of the side flange. When the sleeve 8 is rotated in one direction, the oppositely threaded members 10 are drawn together, allowing the side flange to contract. so as to bring the ends together and permit the easy removal of the side flange from engagement with the main rim member, sleeve is turned in the other direction, the side flange is expanded and is firmly seated upon the main rim member.

To obviate'the somewhat tedious process of contracting or expanding the side flange by turning the sleeve oi the turnbuckle to the required extent, I may employ a toggle joint oi the character shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This toggle joint consists of two links or, levers l2 connected -by a heavy pivot 13 and carried by adjustable eceentrics 14 mounted in lugs 15 on the inner circumference of the removable side flange. To secure the eccentrica in adjusted position, set screws 16 are, preferably provided in the lugs to engage with the heads of the eccentrics. The

eccentrica are provided in order to compensatel for' any difference there may be between the sizes of the side flange and the main rim member. Such differences in size will always be small, but some means should be provided for vcompensating for `this difference in size, however small, and forthis purpose I preferably make use oi the two eccentrics-li. As considerable power may be required to operate the toggle joint, I provide in each pair of lugs 15 a suitable aperture 17 to receive a projection on a lever 18 which is provided with a laterally bent end for engagement 'with the toggle links, as shown in Fig. 5.

The expansion of the side flanges may be brought about in various ways, but I preferably employ the expanding device shown in Figs. 3 and 4, on account of the quickness with which it may be. operated and the security with which the ends of the side flange are held at the proper distance apart. As shown in Fig. 3, the lugs 15 onwhich the toggle links or levers are mounted permit the links or levers to swing past the position of alinexnerit to a slightl extent and positively limit` the movement when the links reach the position shown. The' normal tendency ci the side flange to contract holds the' links in this Aposition and. prevents the movement of the links toward the axis of the wheel, whereby the side flange would be contracted and released from its engagement with the main rim membei.

To force the toggle links into the position shown in Fig. 3 so as to hold the side flange in engagement,with the main rim member, the lever 18 is used as shown in Fig. 5. The lateral projection on the lever is fitted into one of the apertures 17 so that the lateral projection plaind.

To apply a tire to a rim constructed in accord with the' present invention, the side flanges must first be removed and the tire placed inposition upon themain Wh en the 'v rim member, with the inner-tube t seated upon the outer tire face 3 and the edges of the tire sheath or cas- 65' for that purpose. As each side flange is expandedfthe wedging action of the inclined bead or lip with which the side flange engages, will force the tire engaging portion ti of the side flange into clamping engagement with the tire sheath, thus securing one margin of the tire sheath positively upon the main rim member and rendering any creeping of the tire on the rim impossible. Y

The removal of the tire from the rim can be effected as readily as its application thereto. When the side flanges are contracted by means of the turnbuckle or by forcing the toggle links toward the axis of the wheel, the tire can be removed at once, as the margins of the tire sheath are never wedged upon the outer surface of the main rim member.

When the improved wheel rim is in practical use, it willseldom be necessary to remove the tire from the rim, but it will be necessary to expose the inflatable inner ,tube whenever a puncture occurs. For this purpose. it is only necessary to remove the side flange upon the exposed side of the wheel. The removal of the side flange leaves one margin ofthe tire sheath free to be drawn laterally off the main rim member so that the inner tube may be conveniently exposed between the tire sheath and the wheel for repairing.

While l have illustrated only a form of the invention in which the rimis characterized by two `removable side flanges, it is obvious that 'the rim may be construct'ed with one such side flange only, and the beads or lips may be made coextensive with the main rim ably employ side flanges which are each made'of a single piece, but eachside flange may be made in sections, if desired. Without, therefore, limiting myself to the exact structures shown and described, vor enumerating equivalents, what -I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l v

1. The combination ln a wheel rim, of a main rlm member provided on lts outer tace with arabvbet to receive und form a seat for one margin of u tire sheath and a contraetlble und expsnslble. slde flange cooperating with sald maln ,rlm member to clamp the morgln-ot the tire sheath ln sold rubber, said main rlln member and said removable slde flange belng so constructed that-the expanslon ol' the side flange will effect the clamping of the margln of the tire sheath.

' 2. The emhlnutlon in u.V wheel rim, of a main rlni member. an Iexpnnslble and contractlble sfdelange adapted to be held ln engagement with snld mum rlmmemlieiuwhen expanded, n palrof toggle links or levers connected with" suld side flange and forming means for expanding lt. and an adjustable connection between sold toggle levers and ssld slde flange to compensate for nnyvdlflerence ln size between the slde flange and the main rim member.

3. 'lhe combination ln s wheel rlm. of a main rlln member, an expnnslble and contructlble side flange adapted 'tol be held ln engagement with said msln rlnmember wlien expanded, a pair.- of toggle links or levers connected with into locking engagement with said bead or lip by eXpzm- 10 said side iinnge and forming means .for expanding the sion and to be broughvL into clamping engagement with the sume, and :in eccentric adjustably mounted on the side tire by The same operation.

Iiavnge upon which one of said toggle links or levers turns. ln testimony whereof, I have signed my name in the The combination in n wheel rim, of n nnlin rinl lneln- I presence of two witnesses.

bei' presenting' n fire sent on its outer falce und provided ERNEST HOPKINSON.

with un inwardly turned bead or lip beneath saidtix'e 4 Witnesses: seat which is inclined slightly away from the pinne f the H. RICHARD WBSE, wheel, and a removable side Mange adapted To be brought RALPH A. HANCOCK. 

